Martin Brodeur

At 52 years old, Martin Brodeur has this physical status:

NHL career

Brodeur spent the majority of his time with Saint-Hyacinth in the QMJHL, but was called to the NHL on an emergency basis for four games after New Jersey goaltenders Chris Terreri and Craig Billington were hurt. Brodeur made his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins, 4–2, and appeared in just one playoff game that season. Brodeur spent the following season with the Utica Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL). Brodeur also returned to the NHL permanently in the 1993–94 season, receiving praise for winning the Calder Trophy, the NHL's most coveted rookie of the year. He helped the Devils to their second-best record in the league and the Eastern Conference Finals in the playoffs, where they lost to the New York Rangers in seven games. In 47 games played during the regular season, he came in second place in goals against average (2.40%) and fourth in save percentage (.915), enabling him to secure the starting job over Terreri.

The Devils finished fifth in their conference in 1994–95, although their 1994–95 season was cut to 48 games due to an extended lockout. They beat the Boston Bruins in the first round, knocking them out in three of their four victories with Brodeur's leadership. Brodeur played only nine goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round, assisting the Devils in defeating the Penguins in five games. The Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in the third round, giving them their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history against the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings. Brodeur's "trap" defense style, as well as the Red Wings' ardent defense, stifled the series, limiting them to just seven goals in four games. Brodeur's second full season in the NHL marked his second straight appearance. After the victory, he was quoted as saying: 'It's been announced.'

The Devils were in the middle of the pack for the majority of the 1995–96 season and barely missed the playoffs for the first year after a year of success. Brodeur played in 74 of his team's 82 games, setting a single-season record for the most minutes played by a goaltender, despite having the second-most shutouts (6) in the league. He was named starter in the Eastern Conference's All-Star Game, stopping all 12 shots he faced. In voting for the Vezina Trophy, which is given to the league's top goaltender, he came in fourth place. Brodeur played for Team Canada during the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, where Canada lost to the United States in the gold medal finals.

The Devils finished third in the NHL in the 1996–97 season. Brodeur, the runner-up of the Vezina Trophy, was selected to the All-Star team and had the lowest goals against average for a goaltender in nearly 30 years, earning him the Jennings Trophy. He had 10 shutouts and a 0.927 save percentage. Brodeur fired the puck the length of the ice and into the Canadiens' empty net on April 17, 1997, in the first game of a first-round playoff matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. It was only the second time a goaltender had scored in the playoffs and the fifth in all, according to the varsity. The Devils went on to win the tournament, but the Rangers lost in the second round to the opponents.

Brodeur had 43 victories and ten shutouts in the regular season over the past year. In the Eastern Conference, the Devils finished first, but the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators came in first place in the first round of the playoffs. Brodeur was selected for the All-Star Team, finished as a runner-up for the Vezina Trophy, and received the Jennings Trophy once more.

For the third year in a row, the Devils finished first in the Eastern Conference, with Brodeur winning 39 games. He was one of the Vezina Trophy candidates and debuted in the All-Star game for the fourth time, making his fourth appearance. However, the Devils lost in the first round to the Penguins. Brodeur's worst playoff showing in seven games had been his lowest ever figure, with 20 goals allowed in seven games at an.856 save percentage.

Brodeur was credited with his second career goal on the ice on February 15, 2000, when the Devils' Daymond Langkow mistakenly dropped the puck into his own empty net during a postponed penalty call against the Devils. Brodeur had previously blocked an attempted Flyer shot.

Brodeur played 43 games for the second time in his career, and the Devils finished fourth in the Eastern Conference after losing the division to the Flyers by two points. Brodeur aided the Devils in the first round over the Florida Panthers, giving up only six goals in four games. As the Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals, he had two shutouts, including one in Game 6 of the series. At First Union Center in Philadelphia, the Flyers had a 3–1 series lead and could have ended the series, but Brodeur scored just one goal in any of the remaining three games of the series, propelling the Devils to a comeback series victory in seven games. They continued to play for the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals, but only a few points in regular season, giving the Devils a leg up on the series. Brodeur led the Devils through the remainder of the season after leading the team to their second Stanley Cup Championship in six years after starting game one with a seven-goal rally against Dallas.

Brodeur made the 40-win mark for the third time in his career, despite averaging GAA and save-percentage throughout the year. For the sixth straight season, he was in the All-Star Game for the sixth time in a row, and he helped the Devils earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Brodeur was shutouts against the Carolina Hurricanes and the Devils in the first round of the tournament in six games. The Devils defeated the sixth-seeded Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals, where Brodeur added two more shutouts, both on the road, after struggling to beat seventh-seeded Toronto in seven games. The Devils lost in seven games in their second straight Stanley Cup finals appearance.

Brodeur finished in both victories and GAA during the 2001-2002 season, placing him among the league's best in wins and GAA. Brodeur remained a Vezina and MVP candidate as he led the league in victories and stayed a Vezina and MVP candidate. Brodeur won the Vezina Trophy for the first time in 2002-03 season. He also won the Jennings Trophy for the league's Most Valuable Player, and was named a First Team All-Star and started in the All-Star Game. Brodeur coached the Devils to their third Stanley Cup victory in a seven-game series against top-seeded Ottawa Senators and the seventh-seeded Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, one of his career's finest playoff performances. He shut down 3 shutouts against Anaheim and finished with a playoff total of 7 overall, breaking Dominik Haek's record of 6 sets. Despite this, the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP was given to Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sébastien Giguère, who became the first player not on the championship team to be named MVP since 1984. Any hockey writers expected that a New Jersey player would not win because of a plurality of candidates, resulting in a split vote among the sportswriters who selected the winner.

Brodeur won his second consecutive Vezina Trophy and Jennings Trophy in 2003-04. He was a first team All-Star and a finalist for the Hart Trophy for the second time. In the first round of the playoffs, the Devils lost the Atlantic Division by a single point to the Philadelphia Flyers, who now have the third seed and home ice advantage over the sixth-seeded Devils. Brodeur and the Devils will be too much for them to overcome in five games, as the Flyers continued to defeat them in five games.

Following the 2004-05 lockout and the start of the 2005–06 season, the league introduced a new rule banning goaltenders from playing the puck behind the goal line, except in a trapezoid-shaped area behind the net. The trapezoid began at the goal line with angled lines six feet from each goal post and widened to 28 feet at the end boards, and the trapezoid widened to 28 feet at the end boards. Bobby Clarke, the former Flyers general manager, was one of the pioneers in the introduction of the trapezoid. Some believed Brodeur, who was one of the best at handling the puck behind the net, was viewed as a single person, and has since been regarded as the "Brodeur Rule."

It was discussed at the 2009 NHL General Managers' Meeting whether the ruling should be changed as a result of the increasing number of injuries on defenseman who were being impacted by forechecking forwards. The forecheckers were no longer hindered by defensemen holding them up due to the crackdown on espionage, which resulted in situations where defensemen were flying at high speeds. Brodeur believed that resoking the trapezoid would result in more scoring and more exciting games. "If you give the goalies the freedom to play the puck, they'll make the mess up more than they're successful." "It's a no-brainer if they want to avoid these huge hits for the defensemen," he said of defensemen. I felt guilty that I let the guy get hit like that whenever my defensemen or someone was getting a big blow. Now, I've got to sit and watch all the time. You've got to search for something because so many guys are getting hurt." At the time of his appeal, Devils defencemen Paul Martin, Johnny Oduya, and Bryce Salvador were all out of work with injuries.

Ultimately, the plan was turned down, but the court stayed in place. "We had originally approved a rule in which the goaltenders couldn't even understand the puck behind the net at all," former Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said. The game was turning into a tennis match. You'd dump it in and the goalie would kick it out, and with the soft chip inside, it turns into a puck fight and a forecheck match, which is what we wanted."

Brodeur agreed to a six-year deal with the Devils after the 2004–05 NHL lockout ended. He won 43 games in the 2005–06 season, raising his NHL record of five 40-win seasons and ten consecutive 30-win seasons. After struggling early in the season, his improved play later on made him a finalist for the third straight year, and he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the third time in a row, leading the Devils to a surprising comeback in the last two months of the year. For the first time in his career, he won a postseason series against the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, leading the Devils to a four-game sweep. In the next round, the Devils were eliminated due to a 4–1 series collapse.

Brodeur's ninth NHL All-Star Game appearance in Dallas, Texas, won his third Vezina Trophy and climbed to the top of several NHL record lists in the 2006-07 season. He defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 for his 462nd victory in his career, putting him second on the all-time list behind Ed Belfour. Just a few weeks later, Brodeur defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3–0 for his 85th career shutout, bringing him past Glenn Hall for third place on the all-time list and first place among all active goaltenders. Brodeur led overtime overtime to win overtime by a score of 45, beating Roy. Brodeur was the Devils' first 38 victories of the season, leading him to his first career victory for a team.

Brodeur defeated the Ottawa Senators 2–1 shootout on April 3, 2007, setting a record for most victories in a single season set by Bernie Parent in 1973-74. With a 3–2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers that helped the Devils clinch the Atlantic Division crown two days later, he tied the record for his 48th victory.

Brodeur's first appearance in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Tampa Bay Lightning started shaky, and the Devils fell behind two games to one. He recovered, however, to finish the series and helped the team advance to six games, while surpassing Grant Fuhr for second place in all-time playoff victories. The Devils were defeated in five games against the Ottawa Senators in the second round, after the Senators scored 15 goals during the series.

Brodeur became the second goaltender in NHL history to win 500 games with a victory over the Flyers on November 17, 2007. Roy and Marc-André Fleury are the only other goaltenders to reach the feat. In the 2007-08 NHL All Star Game in Atlanta, Brodeur was also named the starting goaltender for the Eastern Conference. However, he was unable to participate due to a family commitment.

Brodeur tried to ignore Sean Avery's hand after losing a tumultuous series against the Rangers in the first round of the 2008 NHL playoffs. In an unusual play, Avery turned to Brodeur during a 5-on-3 power play and began waving his hands and stick in front of Brodeur's face in an attempt to distract him. The NHL declared that it had updated its unsportsmanlike conduct rule, now known as The Sean Avery Rule, effectively outlawing such antics.

Brodeur debuted a new painted mask style for the 2008–09 NHL season, with a stylized "MB30" on the front, replacing the "J" that had been on his mask for almost his entire NHL career. Brodeur sustained a "bruised elbow" during a game on November 1, 2008, the first major injury in his career. Following heart surgery on November 6, he will miss 16 weeks of the season before returning to action on February 26, 2009. Brodeur threw out a 4–0 shutout over the Colorado Avalanche for his 99th shutout after returning from injury. He shuts down the Philadelphia Flyers' 100th career shutout, three days shy of Terry Sawchuk's NHL record.

Brodeur set a string of career records for goaltenders beginning in 2009. In the 2008–09 season, he played in 50 games, but his return put him in a winning streak. The Devils defeated the Canadiens 3–1 on March 14, 2009, giving him his fifth victory of his career and tying him for the NHL record. Brodeur defeated Roy 3–2 in New Jersey three days after.

Brodeur set the new record for the most minutes played in the NHL on November 27, surpassing the previous record of 60,235. His 1,030th appearance in his career, which took place on December 18, smashed Roy's record of 1,029. With a 4–0 victory over the Penguins on December 21, he tied for the most regular-season shutouts, beating Sawchuk's record of 103. Brodeur and the Devils defeated the Penguins 2–0 on December 30, 2009, the Penguins were defeated 2–0. It was his 105th career shutout, giving him the all-time professional record, defeating George Hainsworth's total of 104 in the NHL (94) and Western Canada Hockey League (10). Brodeur won his 600th match in his career on April 6, 2010 by defeating the Thrashers 3–0. This was his 110th shutout in his career.

Brodeur led the NHL in victories (45), shutouts (9), games played (77), and minutes played (4,499) in the 2009–2010 NHL season. He also won his fifth Jennings Trophy and had the third-best GAA in the league, leading his side to back-to-back division victories, which included a 6–0 sweep of the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins. Nevertheless, the Devils lost in the first round of the playoffs to the seventh-seeded Flyers in five games. Brodeur's record was 5–18-1 to start the 2010–11 season, when New Jersey fell to the bottom of the league. Although the Devils improved in the second half of the season, they did not qualify for the playoffs; Brodeur won 23 victories and a 2.45 GAA, but had his lowest save percentage (.903) in 16 seasons.

Brodeur's 14th 30-win season made the Devils return to the playoffs in 2011. Brodeur became the second goaltender to win 100 percent in Game 1 of the conference quarterfinals against the Panthers, defeating the Panthers in Game 1 of Game 1. Brodeur set a new NHL shutout record in Game 4 with a 4–0 win, beating Roy, who had 23, 28, beating him by 23 points. After Brodeur made 43 saves to hold his team in the playoffs, the Devils advanced to Game 7 in double overtime.

Brodeur and the Devils defeated the Rangers four games to two in the Eastern Conference finals after winning a second round series against the Flyers. New Jersey defeated the sixth game 3–2 by Adam Henrique on overtime, resulting in Brodeur's fifth Stanley Cup Finals appearance. In the finals to the Los Angeles Kings in six games, the Devils lost in the Finals. Brodeur won 16 playoff games in the previous eight years and finished 14-10 in the postseason, with a save percentage of.917.

Brodeur drafted agent Pat Brisson during the offseason of 2012, causing many analysts to believe he will test free-agency or retire. Brodeur, however, agreed to a two-year, $9 million contract with the Devils on July 2, 2012, as backup goaltender Johan Hedberg. Brodeur was credited with a power play goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 21, 2013, his first game back from a month absence due to a pinched nerve injury in his upper back, and the first goaltender to score on the power play since Evgeni Nabokov in 2002. Brodeur had a 13.07 GAA in his 29 appearances from 2012 to 13. Cory Schneider, the Devils' starting goaltender position, had been split in six more games than Brodeur's total. Brodeur's figures dropped, despite his GAA up to 2.51, more than half a goal higher than Schneider. Brodeur had a 0.91% save percentage in 39 games played, much lower than the league average. One of his 19 victories in 2013-2014 was a triumph over Boston, his 688th for New Jersey. Brodeur told ESPN on June 6, 2014, that he would test the free agency market for the 2014–15 season, and that his 21-year with the Devils came to an end.

Brodeur signed a tryout contract with the St. Louis Blues on November 26, 2014, after their starting netminder, Brian Elliott, was hospitalized. Brodeur signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Blues a week later.

Brodeur had resigned from the NHL on January 27, 2015. Elliott's return to the Blues led to the decision, as Brodeur had been promoted to the team's top-three goaltender behind Elliott and Jake Allen. Brodeur revealed the news at a press conference two days later. He played in just five games with the Blues, going 3–3–0 in seven appearances. On December 29, 2014, he was a 3–0 shutout against the Avalanche in his last NHL victory.

Post-playing career

Brodeur was hired by the Blues as a special assistant to general manager Doug Armstrong after announcing his resignation. Brodeur and the Blues had agreed to a three-year deal, naming Brodeur as the team's assistant general manager on May 22, 2015.

The New Jersey Devils unveiled a bronze statue of Brodeur outside the Prudential Center on February 8, 2016. The statue was officially dedicated on October 22, 2016, during a ceremony held against the Minnesota Wild. The Devils cut Brodeur's number 30 jersey on February 9, 2016.

Brodeur was appointed a leadership team member for Canada's men's team for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea, on July 25, 2017.

Brodeur was named executive vice president of company growth on August 29, 2018. Brodeur was appointed by general manager Ray Shero on January 12, 2020, as an advisor and advisor on hockey matters.

Career statistics

Bolded numbers show that league leaderItalised numbers point to NHL records.

Bolded numbers point to the tournament's champion.

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